Engine-starter



W. l.. MCGRATH.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17| 1919. E 1,396,519, Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. MCGRATH, OF ELMIRA., NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ECLIPSE MACHINE COMPANY, OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK, A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ENGINE-STARTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented N ov. 8, 1921.

h .n Application led November 17, 1.919. Serial No. 338,690.

To all whom z'z may concern.'

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM L. MCGRATH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elmira, in the county of Chemung andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Starters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a starter for starting an engine such as an internal combustion engine and the object thereof is to provide certain improvements in the particular type -of starter drive illustrated and described in my application for patent filed october 21st, 1919, Serial 110,392,193. \This drive is of the well-known Eclipse-Bendix type characterized by a rotatable member such as a screw shaft and a driving member such as a pinion automatically controlled in its movements by such shaft whereby when the prime mover such as an electric motor is operated the pinion is automatically meshed with the engine member such as the fly wheel thereof, and is automatically demeshed therefrom by reason of the greater speed of the engine. My improvements relate to means for facilitating the meshing operation and for retaining the parts in demeshed position, particularly when such parts are rotating after the engine has been started. v

In the drawing Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section ofa. drive embodying my invention and Fig. 2 a cross-section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Inasmuch as my present invention consists of an improvement engrafted upon the con-` struction shown in my patent application aforesaid, I employ the same reference character for the same parts.

The gear 3 isl driven by an electric motor, not shown and is secured by the keye; to

l one end of the casing or cylinder 5. The in- Y sisting of the flange 12 and hub 13 mounted loosely lupon shaft 8. The flange is interlocked at its edge to the cylinder 5, such parts being held in place by screw ring 14.

The driving head is connected by the coiled drive spring 15 with a driven head 16 of the hollow screw shaft 17, mounted loosely upon shaft 8. The drive spring is anchored to the driving and driven heads by studs 18 and 19 respectively. The screw shaft is provided with the usual stop nut 20.

The driving member which is adapted to engage the ily wheel 21 comprises a pinion 22 mounted loosely upon the extreme outer end of shaft 8 and a cylindrical extension or shell 23 projecting inwardly and over the screw-threaded portion of shaft 17. This shell is internally screw-threaded so as to cooperate with the screw threads of shaft 17. In the present instance these screw threads of the shell are formed separately, the same being formed in the inner bore of the sleeve 24 having an annular flange 25 interlocked with the inner or right-hand end of shell 23 and secured together by the screw ring 26.

In the annular or disk portion 37 connecting the pinion body and the shell 23, I provide means for facilitating the meshing of the pinion and fly wheel and for retaining the drive parts. in demeshed position. As shown such means consists of a plurality of pins 38 arranged in radial bores 39 in they disk portion 37 of the pinion structure. These pins are of less length than their bores and are speed controlled inasmuch as at least one of them at a time bears by gravity against the shaft 8 and all slide outwardly by centrifugal force when the pinion is rotated. 4The inner ends of these pins are somewhat pointed and adapted to engage when in their innermost position with longitudinal grooves 40 of the predetermined length as yshown in Fig. 1 toward the outer end of the shaft 8. When the pinion is at rest the upper one or more of these pins contacts with the shaft and takes its position in a groove presented to it. The cylinder 5 is provided with an inner annular inclined shoulder 41 with which the outer ends of these pins coperate in the demeshing operation in the manner hereinafter explained in describing the operation of the drive.

Describing a cycle of operation, when the motor is started the gear 3 will be rotated. As a result the entire cylinder 5 and the driving heads and screw shaft therewithin will be rotated around the stationary shaft 8 as an aXis and as a support. The pinion 22 will thereupon be advanced longitudinally of the screw shaft and into mesh with the ily wheel gear. The screw threads of the shaft 17 and sleeve 24 are loosely fitted ,and the pinion 22 is likewise loosely fitted upon the extreme reduced diameter end of the shaft 8 so that the weight of the pinion and its shell bears upon the upper surface ofthe stationary shaft sufficiently to cause friction to retard or prevent any tendency of the pinion to rotate at this time, which in addition to its inertia insures the desired longitudinal movement thereof. The pinion continues to advance longitudinally until'the screw sleeve 24 comes into contact withv the stop nut 20, whereupon such pinion will partake of the rotary movement of the screw shaft and will thereby rotate the fly wheel. When the engine starts on its own power the pinion will be automatically demeshed and returned' to normal position in the wellknown manner. Y The foregoing describes the operation without reference to the improvments forming the subject matter. of this application whose operations and functions will now be explained. When the parts. are in normal position one or more of thepinsl are contactingy the stationary shaft in one or more of its grooves, which contact tends to prevent the rotation of ,the pinion and thusassists in enforcing mesh of the pinion with )the fly wheel. Thelower one or more of these pins contact the cylinder 5 but being very light in weight they readily ride over the inclined shoulderAcl when .the pinion is 'advanced longitudinally toward the fly wheel. The grooves 40 are preferably of such length that the pins will have reachedthe plain surface of the shaft 8 by riding out of the end of the grooves by the time that the pinion'en gages the fly wheel and is ready to rotate.

When the pinion is demeshed from the fly wheel, it is of course rotating at a very high rate of speed, and under the centrifugal effect all of thepins are thrown toward the periphery of the disk 37 and thus contact with the cylinder 5. This centrifugal action causes the pins to contact such cylinder with suflicient pressure to prevent them from riding up the inclined shoulder/11 and thus assist in retaining the parts in demeshed position while rotating.

I claim:

1. An engine starter drive .including a rotatable member, a driving member moiinted thereon for rotary movement thereof and longitudinal movement therewith to engage a part of the engine to be started and means contained within such driving member normally operative to hold such latter member against rotary movement to enforce its longitudinal movement and operative to hold it retracted when rotating in disengaged position. l

2. An engine starter drive including a rotatable member, a driving member mounted thereon for rotary movement thereof and longitudinal movement therewith to engage a part of the engine to be started, and means contained within' such driving member normally operative to hold such latter member against rotary movement to enforce its longitudinal movement and operative to hold it retracted when rotating in disengaged position, said means being controlled by the speed of the driving member.

3. An engine starter drive including a rotatable member, adriving member mounted thereon for rotary movement thereof and longitudinal movement therewith to engage a part of the engine to be started, and means contained within such driving member normally operative to hold such latter member against rotary movement to enforce its longitudinal movement and operative to hold it retracted when rotating in disengaged position, said means consisting of a ,against rotary movement to enforce its longivtudinal movement and operative to hold it retracted when rotating in disengaged position, said means consisting of a plurality of radially movable pins mounted in such driving member and an element extraneous of the driving member engaged by the pins when such latter member is rotating in disengaged position.

5. An engine starter drive including a rotatable member, a driving member mounted thereon for rotary movement thereof and longitudinal movement therewith to engage .a part of the engine to be started, and means normallycontrolled by gravity to hold such latter member' against rotary movement to 115 enforce its longitudinal movement.

6. An engine starter drive including a rotatable member, a driving member mount- .ed thereon forI rotary movement thereof and longitudinal movement therewith to engage a part of the engine to vbe started, and means normally controlled by gravity to hold such latter member against rotary movement t0 enforce its longitudinal movement, and controlled by centrifugal force to hold `such member retracted when rotating in disengaged position.

7 An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft, a supporting shaft therefor, a driving membensmounted on the rov der inclosing said drive, and means cooper-f4 tatable shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, and alsoY supported by such supporting shaft, and means coperating with the driving member and with such supporting shaft to normally hold the driving member against rotary movement to enforce its longitudinal movement.

8. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft, a supporting shaft therefor, a driving member mounted on the rotatable shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotarymovement therewith, and also supported by such supporting shaft, and means coperating with the driving member and with such supporting shaft to normally hold the latterv member against rotary movement to enforce its longitudinal movement, and also coperating with such driving member to hold it retracted when rotating in disengaged position.

9. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft, a supporting shaft therefor, a driving member mounted on the rotatable shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith and also supported by such supporting shaft, and a plurality of pins radially mounted in the driving member, one or more of which pins is adapted to engage the supporting shaft to enforce longitudinal movement of the driving member when the rotatable shaft is rotated.

10. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft, a supporting shaft therefor, a driving member mounted on the rotatable shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith and also supported by such supporting shaft, and a plurality of pins radially mounted inthe driv` ing member, one or more of which pins is adapted to engage the supporting shaft to enforce longitudinal movement of the driving member when the rotatable shaft is rotated, in combination with means extraneous of the driving member engaged by the pins when acted on by centrifugal force to thereby hold such member retracted when rotating in disengaged position.

11.' An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft, a supporting shaft therefor, a driving member mounted on the rotatable shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith and also supported by such supporting shaft, a cylinating with such supporting shaft and with t-he driving member to enforce longitudinal movement of the latter and with such cylinder to hold the driving member retracted when rotating in disengaged position.

12. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft, a supporting shaft therefor,

a driving member mounted on the rotatable'y shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewithand also supported by such supporting shaft, a cylinder inclosing said drive and means cooperating with such supporting shaft and with the driving member to enforce longitudinal movement of the latter and with such cylinder to hold the driving member retracted when rotating in disengaged position, said means being speed controlled.

13. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft, a supporting shaft therefor, v a driving member mounted on a rotatable shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith and also supported by such supporting shaft, a cylinder inc'losing said drive and means coperating with such supporting shaft and with the driving member to enforce longitudinal movement of the latter and with such cylinder to hold the driving member retracted when rotating in'disengaged position, said means consisting of a plurality of pins mounted for radial movement in the driving member to engage the supporting shaft by reason of gravity and the cylinder by reason of centrifugal force.

14. An engine starter drive including ay rotatable shaft, a supporting shaft therefor, a driving member mounted on a rotatable shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith and also supported by such supporting shaft, a cylinder 4inclosing said drive and means coperating with such supporting shaft and with the driving member to enforce longitudinal movement of the latter and with such cylinder to hold the driving member retracted when rotating in disengaged position, said means consisting of a plurality of pins mounted for radial movement in the driving member to engage the supporting shaft by reason of gravity and the cylinder by reason of centrifugal force, said cylindex` having an interior inclined shoulder behindk which the pins are positioned when` coperating therewith.`

15. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft, asupporting shaft therefor, a driving member mounted on the rotatable shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and llt rotary movement therewith and also supported by such supporting shaft, and a, plurality of pins radially mounted inthe driv= ing member, one or more of which pins is adapted to engage the vsupporting shaft to enforce longitudinal movement of thc/driv-4 ing member when the rotatable shaft is `rotated, saidsupporting shaft having a plurality of longitudinal grooves' normally engaged by the pins.

16. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft,a supporting shaft therefor, a driving'member mounted Io n the rotatable shaft for longitudinal movement thereof andrv rotary movement therewith land also sup- 130 ported by such supporting shaft, said driving member lcomprising a pinion mounted to slide on the supporting shaft, a hollow eX- tension mounted on the rotatable shaft, and a disk portion intermediate such pinion and extension, and means mounted in such disk portion and coperating with said support` ing shaft to enforce longitudinal movement of the pinion.

17. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft, a supporting shaft therefor, a driving member mounted on a rotatable shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith and also supported by such supporting shaft, said drivlng mem e slide on the supporting shaft, a'hollow extension mounted on the rotatable shaft, and 'a disk portion intermediate such pinion and extension and a plurality of pins mounted radially in such disk portion and coperatr comprising a pinion mounted to ing with said supporting shaft to enforce longitudinal movement of the pinion.

18. An engine starter` drive including a rotatable shaft, a supporting shaft therefor, a driving member mounted on a rotatable shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith and also supported by such supporting shaft, said driving member comprlsing a pinion mounted to slide on the supporting shaft, a hollow extension mounted on the rotatable shaft,

and la disk portion intermediate such pinion .and extenslon, a lcylindler inclosing such drive and operatively connected with the r`otatable shaft, and mea-ns mounted 1n such disk portion and coperating with the supporting shaft to enforce lon .itudinal move-l ment of the pinion, and aso coperating with the cylinder to lhold the pinion retracted position.

MCGRATH.

when rotating in disen a ed A WILLIAlgL. 

